Vacuumizing machine



Get. 9. 1923.

- 1,469,874 G. A. BEARDSLEY ET AL VACUUMIZING MACHINE Filed JuneZO 1922 Sheeis-Sheet 1 Oct. 9, 1923. H,46,?4

G. A. BEARDSLEY ET AL \VACUUMIZING MACHINE Filed June 29, 1922 7 Sheets-Sheet? Ewwwntozi at 9,, 1923. mwsm G. A. BEARDSLEY ET AL -VACUUMIZING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 QQ'M & 1 AWMi-R,

Oct. 9, 1923. 1,46%874 G. A. BEARDSLEY ET AL VACUUMI Z ING MACHINE Filed June 20 1922 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4- G. A. BEARDSLEY ET, AL

VAGUUMIZING MACHINE Filed June 20. 1922 e -S eet 5 iin .f-llllllll mu I et 9' G. A; BEARDSLEY ET AL;

VACUUMIZIYNG MACHINE 7- Sheetsl-Sheet 6 Filed June 2;). L922 x avwwntoz J 4 m F MW 4 4 @cit. 9,1923. 1,469,874

G. A. BEARDsLEY ET AL VACUUMIZING' MACHINE Filed June 20, 1922 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Fig .11.

Patented Oct. 9,1 923.' v v I UNITED STATES.

GEORGE A. BEARDSLEY, OF EAST ORANGE,

, 1,469,814 PATENT OFFI CE.

. J AND DANIEL WARDELL, OF NEWARK, NEW

JERSEY, ASSIG-NOBS TO HAZEL-ATLAS GLASS COMPANY, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

. vaooumzi'ne mhcnmn.

Application filed June 20,1922. Serial Nb. 569,695.

' To all, whom it maiy concern.-

had to the accompanying drawings, in .which' i Fig. 1 is a side elevation-of our improved machine showing the right-hand and lefthand cylinders in section; Fig. 2 is the opposite side elevation thereof; Fig.1 3 is the front elevation thereof; Fig. 4 is a section withthe parts in the position in which a receptacle is'aboutto be ejected from vac numizing position; Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 4 but with a receptacle just being inserted into vacuumizing'position; Fig. 6 is a section similar to Fig. 5 but showing a receptacle seated in the vacuumizing chamber" "Fig. 7 is a section on lines VII- 5 VII of Fig. '3, but showing-the partsion the .operatin'gtable inth'e succeeding posi- 'tion in the cycle of operations; Fig. .8 is a section on lines VIII-VIII of Fi 7; Fig. 9 is a section online IX- IX of ig. 1, but

' with the right-hand vacuumizing' cylinder elevated to enclose the receptacle therein;

Fig. 10 is a section on lines X--X of Fig.

1, but with the left-hand vacuumizing cylinder'in lowermost position; Fig. .11 is an 5 elevation of the exhausting valve 'mech anism showing all' of the left-hand valve mechanism and part of the right-hand mechanism taken from the side opposite that shown in 1; Fig. 12 isa detail of the valve operating cam; Fig. 13 is a detail of the locking cam for the foot'treadle; and

Fig. 14 is a detail of a receptacle showingv the lid applied thereto.

Our invention relates to sealing jars,

tumblers and other receptacles in vacuo, and

preferably comprises a duplex machine having a pair'of-sealing chambers or cylinders into which the receptacles are alternately fed automatically and continuously. To this end'our improved machine is designed to advance the rece tacles into the sealing chambers, enclose t em, move them into sealing position, exhaust and then admit air when ecessary to complete the sealing operation, and withdraw the enolosin means and discharge the receptacles. proved mechanism is so designed; as to give ur ima long dwell in vacuum and its efliciency is increased by making the vacuum chamber as small as practical, so that the minimum amount of air'need be' exhausted. Our in; vention also consists in the various features which we shall hereinafter describe and claim.

Referring 'to the drawings, we have shown a. duplex machine in which the numeral 2 indicates the frame of the machine andv 3 the table across which the 'recep tacles are moved by th various operations later to be described. The machine is oper ated by means of four cams, A, B, C and D,

mounted on the shaft 4, which is'di'iven 1 from any suitable sourceof power, such as the pulley 5, to which the shaft is connected through the cone clutch 6 and the gearing 6, 6*, 6 and 6, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. As there are two jar lifting cams A,

two cylinder lifting cams B, and two jar v feeding cams C, with corresponding parts,

only one set of cams willbe-referred to, itloeing understoodthat the second set operates in exactly the same way and is indicatedby the same reference characters.

The jar lifting cam A, which is best shown in Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 6, operates a bell.

crank lever 7, at one endof which is a. roller 8 which is causedto, bear against the normal surface of the cam A and its cam faces 9 and 10 b the spring 11. The opposite end 12 of the ell crank lever 7 is slotted to engage 'the rod 13, upon the upper end of which the jarsupporting disk l4eis mounted. On 'the-rodl3 are'the fixed collar 15 and" loose collar 15", which confine the forked end12 of "th lever 7 between them and so cause the rod .13 tov be lifted, and with it the disk 14:, when the lever 7 is actuated by the cam surfaces 9 and 10 on the cam A.

The collar 15 is held against the end 12 of the lever by the cushioning springs 15", as is. shown in Fig. l. i

The cylinder lifting cam B, which is also roller 17, which is caused to bear against-the normal surface-pf the cam B and its cam surfaces 18 and 18 by thespring 19. The

opposite end 20 ofthe bell crank lever .16

shown in Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 6, operates a bell crank lever 16, at one 'end of which is a is forked to engage a sleeve 21 which is reciprocably mounted on the rod 13. the upper end of the sleeve 21 is supported the cyl'inder 22, which forms the yacuumizing chamber 67, when elevated into engagement with the plate 23, which forms the. top of that chamber. To hold the slotted end 20 of the lever 16 in engagement with the sleeve 21, collars 24 and '25 are provided thereon, the collar 25 being yieldingly held in engagement with the slotted end of the lever, by a spring 26, which bears against a shoulder 27 on the'sleeve.

The jar feeding cam C, which is also best shown' in Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 6, operates a bell crank lever 28, at one end of which is a roller 29, which is caused to bear against the normal surface of the cam C and its cam surface3O by a spring 31. The jar feeding carriage 32 is attached to the long arm of the lever 28 by links 33. The carriage .32 has a depending T-shaped guide 34, as is shown in Fig. 8, which slides in the slots 35 of..the jar feeding table 3. Mounted on the rods 36 of the carriage 32 is a saddle 37, which is shorter than the distance between the ends 38 of the carriage and consequently can move relatively to the carriage 32 and between its ends 38 upon the rods 36. Upon the saddle 37 are two pins 39, shown in Figs. 7 and 8, upon each of which is mounted a jaw 40. The jaws 40 are intended to engage the receptacles to advance them into vacuumiz'ing position and each of which also has a forward projection 41 for the. purpose of. ejecting the receptacle from its .vacuumizing position after the lid has been sealed thereon. Carried 0n the forward end 38 of the carriage 32 are the pins 42, which operate in elongated and diverging slots 43 of the plates 44, which are likewise'mounted on the pins 39 and move with thejaws 40. It will be seen that as the saddle moves relatively to the carriage the movement of thepins 42 relative to the slots 43 will cause the jaw "40 to be moved together or apart to engage a receptacle or to be disengaged therefrom, depending on the direction of movement of the carriage, and saddle. Tntermediate the rods 36 isa stem 45 having a pusher 46 on the end thereof, which en gages the rear side of the receptacle and assists in propelling it forwardly along the table into vacuumizi g position. On each side'bf the saddle 37 and spring-mounted therein are the friction slides 47, which by their frictional contact with the table 3 ensure a relative movement between the saddle 37 and carriage 32 and the consequent opening and closing ofthe jaws 40.

he valve operating cam D, of which there is only one in the machine, and which 0prates the two exhausting valves 49 and is best shown in Figs. 2, 3, 5, 6 and 12, has an internal cam slot. The internal cam slot has two normal portions 50 and 51 and two cam portions 50 and 51?, whichare engaged by the roller 52on the bell crank lever 53.'

Attached to the opposite end of the lever 53 is the upwardly extending link rod 54, which is securecLto the arm 55, which has a Sleeve 56 fixed on the shaft 57. Midway of the shaft 57 and fixed thereto, as is best shown in Fig. 11, is the step cam 58, which engages the step portions of the sleeves 59, arranged either side thereof, and each of which has an arm 60. Spaces are arranged'between the steps of the cam 58 and the step portions of the sleeves 59 so as to provide for lost motion in transmitting movement from the shaft 57 to the arm 60 and increase a dwell hausting pump line or the open air port.

64 with the port 66. The port- 66 leads from each valve 49 to a vacuumizing chamber 67. Each arm 60 is provided with a shoulder 60 which, as the arm 60 is rocked by the cam 58, comes into engagement with a pin 60 on the casing of the valve 49 so as to ensure arresting the valve with its port 64 open to atmosphere.

In the upper portion of each vacuumizing chamber is a disk 70, which is supported on a screw shaft 71 depending through the roof of the vacuumizing chamber and by which the disk may be raised or lowered to .provide for different heights of receptacles.

The de vice may be set-in operation by depressing the foot treadle 72 against the action of the spring 72 by which the levers 73, 74 and connecting link 75 are actuated to connect the driving pulley 5 to the shaft 4 through the clutch 6 and the gearing 6 a 6", 6, and 6. After the machine is in operation the treadle 72 may be locked in de- -p1"esed position by means of the cam 76,

which is operated from the handle 77.

The operation of our improved deviceis as follows: The machine being set in mo tion, the operator places a receptacle, with the lidin position thereon, on the table 3 between the jaws-40, as is shown at the righthand side of Figf3. U'nder actuation from the cam C through the lever 28 and links 33 the carriage 32 advances across the table 3 toward the left-hand side, carrying with it the saddle 37 upon which the jaws 40 are mounted, thus advancing the receptacle upon the'disk 14, which, as is shown in Fig. 5, is in lowermost position. The continued rota causing the cam tion of the'cam C causes the roller 29 to pass over the cam face 30 and engage the norma surface of the cam, thus permitting the spring 31 to retract the carriage 32 and with it the saddle 37 and jaws 40. As the jaws 40 are retracted. [the surface 18 of thecylinder lifting 'caIn B rOtates'intQ engagement with the roller 17 and causes the lever 16 to lift the sleeve 21 .and elevate the cylinder 22 until its top surface is in engagement with the late 23, thus forming the air-tightcham er 67, as is shown in Fig. 6, The camsurface 9 on the cam A has also come into engagement with the roller 8 on the lever 7 and'ca used the disk 14 to be elevated, thus bringing distance below the disk 70, as is also shown in Fig. 6, so that as the air is being .exhausted from the vacuumizing chamber the cap can not be displaced from the top of the receptacle. I a

As the cylinder'22 comes into engagement with the plate 23 the roller 52 comesin' contactwith the cam portion of the cam slot of the cam D, as is also shown in Fig. 6, thus rotatingvthe, shaft 57 through the lever 53, rod 54, am 55, and sleeve Y56, and 58 to rock an arm 60 and rotate the valve drum 62 through the flexible band 61, thus turning the right-hand valve to exhausting position, as is shown in Figs. 6 and 9. As the air is rapidly exhausted from the vacuumizing chamber 67' and from the receptacle, the further rotation of the cam A brings the roller 8 into engagement withthe cam surface 10, which forces the rod 13 still further upward and with it the disk 14 and the receptacle thereon so as to bring the I 40 cap on the receptacle into engagement with the disk 70, which may be a sealing device of any character, thus forcing, the receptacle' Meanwhile, inthe rotation of the cam D the roller 52 rides through the portion 51 of the slot, thus holding the ex:

hausting'port65 open until it comes into contact wih the surface 51*, which permits the roller 52 to drop down, thus bringing therod' 54 and arm 55' into the pbsition shown in Figs. 1 and 11 in which the right-hand valve is open to atmosphere, while the same movement of the shaft 57 has rotated the left-hand valve to exhausting position. As

' valve 'to atmosphere.

the inovement of the cam-D rocks the arm 60, the tension on the flexible band 61 is released, which permits the spring. 63 to rotate the valve stem 62' in the reverse dire ,2- tion andthereby open the-port 64 of the into the vacuum chamber 67 andthe cap will .then beheld on the receptacle by the vacuum inside. V

W-hen, as is shown 52 is riding through or 1 tion 50 of the cam slot,

in Fig. 1 the roller dwelling in the porthe arm 55 isheld in the cap on the receptaclea short orotherwise securing, the cap firmly on The air then 7 rushes lowermost position, as is indicated in Figs.

1 3 and 5, and. the right-hand valve is held the arm 55 is being raised to uppermost position and the right-hand valve is being turned to exhausting position, in which it is maintained while the roller-5,2 rides through 'or dwells in the portion 51 of'thecam slot,

as is shown in Figs. 6 and 9. At the same time the left-hand valve is rotated toand held at [the open to atmosphere position, as is shown in Fig. 10. A f

Further rotation of the cam A retracts the rod 13 and disk 14 to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4} and at the same time the cyl inder lifiting cam B has come into engagement with the surfacel8, thus permitting the spring 19 to retract the cylinder below the surface of the table 3, thus completing the cycle.

Thenwhen a new receptacle has been 1 placed between the jaws and these jaws are advanced by the action of the jar feeding cam C, the prongs 41 on the jaws will push the filled jar to the left in the succeeding operation, as is shown in the lower side of Fig. 7,

The operation of our improved mechanism is so arranged that as one set of cams A, B and C is causing the apparatus to go through a complete cycle of operations the other set ,of cams A, B and/C is-causing the other set to'go through a similar cycle, and the cam D simultaneously controls the operations of the valves of both sets, but the movements are so'timed that one operator may -.feed receptacles to both sets of apparatus successively. Thus, as i's'shown in Fig.7, while on one side of the machine a receptacle is being discharged and another moved into vacuumizing position, on. the other side a receptacle is being vacuumized and another has been placed in position between the jaws 40 ready to be advanced into the 'vacuumizing position.

Our improved machine is very efiicient. and smooth in action and after beingstarted runs automatically, the only workrequired of the operator belng to place the receptacles oh the feed table between the jaws 40 of the feedingcarriage. The opj eration is substantially without-jar, as the movement of the cams A, Band C is against the action of springs, and'tlie upward thrust of the levers actuated by the cams A and B upon the'rod l3 and sleeve 21- is cushioned by the springs 15 and 26. The action of-the cam 'face 9 on the cam A isfor the two fold purpose of lifting the receptacle to such an extent that the exhaustion of the-air can not pull the cap off be I cause it is so near the disk 70, andof decreasing the amount of lift required to and not of limitation, and we have no in-' tention, in the use of such terms and expremions, of. excluding any mechanical equivalents of'the features shown and described, or portions thereof, but recognize that various structural modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed. It is obvious that our improved mechanism may be employed in a variety of operations which it is desirable to carry out under vacuum.

What we claim is: 1

1.- In an automatic vacuum' sealingmachine for receptacles, a feeding table, a cylinder reciprocably mounted and arranged to be projected above said table to form a portion of a vacuum chamber and to be p,

withdrawn below the level of said table, a reciprocable feeding carriage on said table adapted to feed receptacles into the path of movement of said cylinder and to eject.

them therefrom, valve mechanism controlling the exhaustion of air from and the admission of air intosaid vacuum chamber,

and driving means having associated therewith a plurality of cams, each of which actuates, through connecting members, a feeding carriage, a cylinder, or the valve mechanism. s I

2. In an automatic. vacuum sealing machine for receptacles, a feeding table, a cylinder reciprocably mounted and arranged to be projected above said table to form a portion of a vacuum chamber and to be withdrawn below the level 'ofsaid table a reciprocable feeding carriage'on said table adapted to feedreceptacles into the path of movement of said cylinder and to eject them therefrom, a, receptacle lifting plate within said cylinder, valve mechanism controlling the exhaustion of air from and the admission of air into said vacuum chamber, and driving means having associated therewith a plurality of cams, each of which actuates, through connecting members, the feeding carriage, the cylinder, therecepta cle lifting plate, or the valve mechanism.

3. In an automatic vacuum sealing machine for receptacles, a feeding table, a cylinder reciprocably mounted and arranged to be projected above said table to form a porfion of a vacuum chamber and to be Withdrawn below the level of the table, a reciprocable feeding carriage on said table adapted to feed receptacles into the path of movement of' said cylinder andto eject them therefrom, a receptacle lifting plate Within said cylinder, valve mechanism controlling the exhaustion and admission of air into said vacuum'chamber, and driving meanshaving associated therewith a plurality of cams, each 'of which actuates through connecting memportion of a vacuum chamber and to be Withdrawn below the'level of the table, a receptacle lifting member opei'ating in said cylinder, and means for liftin ,said member into exhausting position and subsequently into'sealing position. 1 A

5. In an automatic vacuum sealing machine forreceptacles, a feeding table, a cylinder reciprocabl mounted and arranged to be projected a ove said table to form a portion'of a vacuum chamber and to be withdrawnbelow the level of the table, a receptacle lifting member operating in said cylinder, a sealing member on the upper portion of said chamber, and means for lifting the receptacle lifting member into exhausting position and subsequently lifting the receptacle lifti n member to a further extent to press the lid or cap on the receptacle against the sealing member.

6. In a duplex automatic vacuum sealing machine for receptacles, a feeding table, open ended cylinders reciprocably mounted and arranged to-be rojected above said table and to form with suitable closures vacuum sealing chambers and to be with- 'drawn below the level of said table, reciprocable feeding carriages on said table each adapted to feed receptacles successively into the path of movement of a cylinder and to eject them therefrom, valve mechanism controlling the exhaustion of air from and the admission of air into said vacuum chambers, and driving means having associated therewith a plurality of cams, each of which actuates, through connecting members, a feeding carriage, a cylinder, or the valve mechanism.

7. In a duplex automatic vacuum sealing machine for receptacles, a feeding table,

open ended cylinders reciprocably mounted and arranged to be projected above said table and to form with suitable closures vacuumsealing chambers and to be withdrawn below the level of said table, reciprocable feeding carriages on said table each adapted to feed receptacles successively into the path of movement of a cylinder and to eject them therefrom, valve mechanism c011- trolling admission of air into said vacuum chambers, said valve mechanism comprising a two-Way valve for each vacuum chamber, each valve having a valve drum actuated through a connection with a rocking shaft, a retardingelement bein interposed between the shaft and each va-ve drum to give the valve a long dwell in exhausting position, and driving means for cylinders, carriages and rocking shaft.

8. In a duplex automatic vacuum sealing machine for receptacles, a feeding table,

- and arranged to open ended cylinders reciprocably mounted be projected above said the exhaustion of air from and the table and to form with suitable closures vacuum sealing chambers and to be withdrawn below the level of said table, reciprocable feeding carriages on said table, each adapted to feed receptacles successively into 'the path of movement of a cylinder and to eject them therefrom, valve mechanism controlling the exhaustion of air from and the admission of air into said vacuum chambers, a driving member, a driven shaft having mounted thereon a plurality of cams for actuating the various actuated members, and a clutch connecting the driving member and the driven shaft, said clutch being under control of a lever and means for locking the lever in operatin position.

EO. A. BEARDSLEY.

DANIEL WARDELL. 

